It seems that in every AFL off-season, there are one or two coaching changes.
But this year is different. All 18 coaches kept their jobs... for now at least.
This is not to write off the following five men or even suggest they will get sacked if they're teams fail to produce this season. But these five will face considerable pressure if they're sides go backwards.
Here are the five coaches most under the pump in 2019:Â Â
1. Alan Richardson
Into his fifth season at the helm, Richardson has become a victim of his own expectations. 2018 was supposed to be the year the Saints return to finals after a handful of seasons languishing in the bottom four. It's fair to say that patience was wearing thin in the fan base after falling from ninth in 2016 to 11th in 2017 and a likely bottom four finish this season. The situation has gotten dour over the long term at St Kilda, and the list rebuild certainly hasn't gone to plan.
Richardson has come under intense fire following a season of underwhelming results, putting things lightly, and as a result, pressure has been placed on the club. The landscape at the Saints has already began to rumble and club departures are more than expected come season's end. Club management have claimed that reassurance and faith in Richardson is as strong as it once was - but as we know, where there's smoke, there's fire.
If the Saints are a rabble again in 2019, it's fair to say Richo won't be there in 2020.
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